A mall in China has found a way to accommodate husbands who hate shopping, and wives who may hate their husbands' complaining.
Shanghai mall has created "husband storage pods," the BBC reports, so wives can have the option to drop their husbands while they shop.
Inside each individual pod is a chair, monitor, computer and gamepad, and men can sit and play retro 1990s games. Currently, the service is free, but staff told the newspaper that in future months, users will be able to scan a QR code and pay a small sum for the service using their mobile phones.
Men who have tried out these pods seem to have mostly positive feedback, although many of them complained the pods currently have no air conditioning or ventilation, which caused one man who tried it to be "drenched in sweat after 5 minutes."
An even more fascinating part of this weird husband babysitting service story is that this is not the first time China has tried keeping husbands distracted while their wives shop. According to Newsweek, the concept of "husband cloak rooms," which are essentially just rest areas with a TV and a smoking section, have also garnered interest.
These may not be the worst ways to keep both parties happy during a trip to the mall, and it's beneficial to have a place to relax when shopping becomes too much or too boring.
It's not just happening in China -- the United States has tried its own way to placate waiting husbands, as well. NPR ran a report in 2006 about stores that began catering to guys by offering them snacks and comfy chairs while they wait.
I suppose the question is, why are women in China even bringing their husbands to the mall in the first place? Seems like it would be less complicated to just let them play video games at home.
Here's a video showing these "husband storage pods," so you can believe it when you see it: